


Impasse: Breaking and Entering

by Lovedrr



Series: Impasse [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-11
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-04 07:50:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1771393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovedrr/pseuds/Lovedrr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The desperate need for love and affection between two broken souls with a magnetic attraction which draws them together, even against their own instincts and fears... to the arms of their soulmate..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

Gotham Central Transit Station

3:33 a.m.

The loud clacking of the sleek shiny suede pair of black high heeled pumps echoed profoundly in the relative silence of the old train station. At this time of morning, very few travelers used this locale, as most of the traffic had already switched to the new station closer to the center of the city. This station was now nearly deserted.

It was for this very reason that she had chosen it to bring her home.

From the shadows, even the assassins which had been sent to kill her had to admire the woman that was Selina Kyle. Her womanly stride was confident and fierce, her demeanor exuding high society and authority. Her physical allure was constant and undeniable. The black leather coat covering her down to her muscular calves parted as she walked to reveal a slim, toned, very feminine figure clad only in a dark, form fitting black dress which barely reached down to the middle of her creamy thighs. Her long, naturally blonde hair covered her shoulders and fell almost all the way down to the small of her back, giving way to the most sensuous and enticing eyes that either of the men had ever seen. Selina Kyle in person was truly a magnificent sight.

It was truly a pity that she was going to die this night.

Selina Kyle came to a stop as the adjoining train she had been waiting for arrived and pulled to a stop in front of her. She threw her hair back with a feminine shake, and just this move made her seem drop dead sexy. She glanced back at the shadows behind her, knowing that the men sent to kill her were well hidden within them, and she smiled silkily. Then, she slipped between the opening train doors in front of her.

Lockinson and Kensington, the duo of assassins well known collectively as Lock and Key, swiftly emerged from the shadows and boarded the train two cars down from Selina. They moved like a well oiled team, their moves having been honed and practiced through years of experience. Side by side, they slowly began to make their way up the central aisle of the train toward Selina's car.

Selina watched the duo very carefully out of the corner of her eyes as she sat seemingly calm and quiet. They both wore long black trench coats, probably covering an arsenal of weaponry. They also wore two black wide brimmed hats to conceal their faces in shadow, no doubt to make identification difficult should anyone spot them in the area of a completed job. They were old school, and that meant they were very dangerous.

Lock and Key made their way to the doors connecting to Selina's car. The train was passing through an especially dark area of the tunnel, and as they stepped through the adjoining doors the cars seemed to become nearly completely black. The cars were in darkness for only a few moments, just long enough for the two men to close the door behind them.

Yet, when Lock and Key looked over to where Selina was sitting… she was gone.

Lock and Key immediately became alarmed. The only traces that a lovely young woman had once been sitting in that seat were the two bags sitting on the floor of the train, the black leather coat laying against the back rest, and the two pair of shiny black stiletto heels resting upright side by side. It almost seemed as if the woman had disappeared right out of her clothes.

Lock quickly pulled a powerful 357 Magnum out of the inside of his coat, followed by Key withdrawing a double pump shotgun and cocking it loudly. Their eyes carefully searched the compartment in front of them.

They failed to look up above them first.

Perched and ready for attack above them, the Catwoman was carefully positioned across the ceiling directly above the two assassins. With her shoes off, Catwoman had spread her legs into a perfect split to brace her soles against the plastic arching of the train roof. Having donned her costume gloves, she had dug her extended nails into the roof of the train, holding her lithe body suspended above them.

Lock sniffed the air around them, and caught the scent of a very expensive perfume. At the same moment, almost in slow motion, Key's eyes adjusted to the sight of a single strand of long yellow hair gracefully gliding down through the air just inches in front of his eyes.

Both of them knew they were done.

At the second they started to move into action, both of them swinging their guns upward, Catwoman pulled her legs in and swung downward. Both of her heels connected solidly with the backs of their heads with loud cracks which resounded through the air. As both men stumbled forward, Catwoman continued her powerful yet graceful swing and turned, landing in front of the two of them without making a sound.

At the moment that her toes touched the floor of the train, her right hand snatched her miniature whip out of its case tucked tightly against the small of her back and quickly swung it out toward the smaller Key. The deadly thin leather wrapped tightly around his neck as he clawed it at trying to free himself.

Selina leaped into the air and landed solidly on his collarbone, breaking it instantly, before she jumped off of him and slammed both feet into Lock's chest. In recoil, she spun her body upward and lashed out with her gloved claws, gashing deep into the side of Lock's neck. Selina landed on the back of Key's right shin, breaking it as well. She pulled hard on her whip as he started to howl in pain, choking the breath out of him.

The assassination attempt was over in seconds, and it had ended badly for the assassins. Selina was standing tall with one foot on top of Key grimacing in intense pain and the incapacitated Lock laying on the floor in front of her desperately clinging to his profusely bleeding neck.

"Well, boys, let's talk, shall we?" Selina purred quietly. "I could've cut your partner's jugular vein and finished him off, but I didn't," she said as she looked down at Key. "Still, he's in pretty bad shape. I suggest you answer my questions and help him stumble to a hospital before you both expire. You understand me?" she asked as she pulled on her whip again.

With his face contorted in extreme pain, Key could only nod an assent to her.

"Good," Selina continued. "Now, who sent you?"

"You… you know we can't… tell you that," Lock forced out, his husky heavy Bronx accented voice growled.

Selina was surprised at his resilience. Even though she had put him down, he still had the wherewithal to try to speak to save his partner's life. These old school guys were tough, indeed.

"I think you better make an exception this one time," she said, her voice simultaneously very polite and very threatening.

"We… we can't… do that," Key backed up his partner's words. "In our line… of business… you know we can't… give up da client," he managed through teeth gritted in pain.

"I could rip the skin off your neck with this whip," Selina spoke to Key directly. "And your partner will need immediate medical attention. His time is running out," she said with a glare.

Key hesitated for only a moment longer before he relented. "We got the job from Falcone. But he was hosting the job for a client that he owed a favor. We didn't ask no more. That's all we know. Honest. Straight up."

Selina knew she had heard the truth. These old timers weren't prone to lies. She carefully released her whip from around Lock's neck and retracted it. She slowly stepped off of him and walked over to gather her things as the two men helped one another to their feet. She took her time slipping her heels back on, pulling on her coat, and picking up her bags. Selina then walked back toward the men to give them her parting words.

"Have Falcone tell his client, that if he wants me so bad, he'll have to up his price tag," she said as she menacingly walked toward them. Then, she stopped and turned toward the train doors opening in front of her. "Thanks for the entertainment, boys," she said as she stepped between the train doors and disappeared into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Gotham Reception Hall

9:45 p.m.

The grand reception area was only marginally crowded this evening. The scheduled event was the unveiling and presentation of the newly discovered Egyptian Feline Queen, a rare jeweled artifact which had been a matter of myth until its accidental excavation the previous year. This unveiling was hurriedly organized by the Wayne Foundation, somewhat unexpectedly, and many of Gotham upscale had chose to snub the event on account of not wanting to be rushed into anything.

Their absence suited the event's benefactor just fine.

Mr. Bruce Wayne made his way through the small crowd of conversing dinner guests with a practiced precision, dismissively greeting them with only short waves of his hands and nods of his head, making his way over to his scheduled table. Just as soon as he reached his chair, he was graced with the sight of Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon and his wife Sarah walking toward their seats at his table. Bruce immediately stepped over to draw out Sarah's chair for her.

"Commissioner, Mrs. Gordon," he greeted cordially. "It's so nice to see you this evening."

"Thank you, Mr. Wayne," Sarah spoke kindly.

"Not so fast there, young man," Jim politely stepped in between Bruce and his wife's chair. "There are some things that are reserved for the husband, if you don't mind."

"You're a very lucky man, Commissioner," Bruce said as he stepped back to let Jim seat Sarah in her chair and push her up to the table.

"If you ever settle down and quit your playboy ways, maybe then you'll learn the value of marriage, son," Jim spoke gruffly.

Bruce raised his eyebrows in surprise at his brashness. "Yes, sir."

"Jim," Sarah scolded gently.

"No. No. It's okay, Mrs. Gordon," Bruce interjected quickly. "Our Commissioner certainly means well. And, quite frankly, I admit that he may just be exactly right."

The lights all around the room began to dim just slightly. The conversating guests slowly began to disperse and make their way to their tables, still lingering somewhat as the stage was still being prepared.

Bruce and Jim took their seats at the table along with Barbara, each of them taking notice of the one chair still left empty.

"Bruce? May I ask you something?" Barbara smiled cheerfully at him from across the table.

"Anything at all, of course," Bruce said as he returned her smile.

"Well, you've been seen and photographed dating so many top models and debutantes and the like. Do you think you would know the right woman if she walked into your life?"

"Well," Bruce answered with a gentle and nervous laugh as he looked down at the table, trying to figure out how to respond. Finally he looked up, his face now a little more serious. "Well, I think I will know her when…"

Bruce stopped in mid-sentence at the amazing sight sauntering down the side stairwell toward their table. His eyes grew wide, his pulse quickened, and his heart… skipped a beat.

Jim and Barbara noticed his reaction, and they both turned around to look over their shoulders at what had so captivated the attention of the young billionaire.

The sight his eyes had centered on was unforgettable. The most beautiful sight he'd ever seen was descending the staircase above him. Several men besides himself found themselves transfixed by her appearance, all of them now standing motionless as they gazed upon her. Her stride was smooth and graceful, not unlike that of a feline cat. She was wearing a dress which suited her perfectly. It was simultaneously classy and sassy, revealing yet demure. It was a sheer black dress which had a light shine to it with a wide plunging neckline that reached almost all the way down to her navel. Her arms were adorned with stylish expensive coverings which extended to just past her elbows. Her curve hugging dress had slits on up to her thighs on both sides which parted to reveal her sleek gorgeous legs as she walked, her feet were magnificently adorned in a pair of shiny high heeled double ankle strap classic pumps. Her excessively long natural blonde hair was stylishly curled with a line left free to flow over her left shoulder and down the left side of her back. Selina Kyle was a perfect vision of feminine loveliness.

Selina couldn't help but take notice of the man known as Bruce Wayne. Her eyes fastened on him immediately and, despite herself, her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him. He was quite a hunk. He was almost the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. She'd never ever had to remind herself to stay focused on her job before, but this one time she indeed had to do so. She reminded herself that Bruce Wayne was just her next mark and nothing more.

Besides, this guy was certainly nothing but another aristocratic high living low life blueblood that had probably been stepping on people his whole life. When she had studied his profile, the media had certainly portrayed him as a brash foolish playboy philanthropist that had left a string of broken hearts in his wake. Unfortunately, she could see exactly why. With looks like his, she could see why so many women found him irresistible. She couldn't deny the fact that she was drawn to him. However, he was just a mark. An extremely gorgeous mark, but still just another mark for the job she was working on.

He would not stand in the way of her acquiring the Egyptian Feline Queen.

Several other men had begun to make their way over to the staircase to escort her, some of them even embarrassingly leaving their evening dates, but the captivatingly lovely woman had already angled her stride toward the billionaire. The men began to calmly disperse as quickly as they had approached, in deference to the unspokenly acknowledged alpha male.

Bruce and Selina walked up to each another, unknowingly gazing into the other's eyes.

"Ms. Selina Kyle, I presume," Bruce said cordially as he raised her right hand to his lips and kissed it.

"And you are Mr. Bruce Wayne," Selina said dismissively, despite the twinkle in her eyes at his gesture. "One of, if not the, most wealthy man in Gotham. Fancy meeting you here."

Inadvertently still holding her hand, Bruce escorted her over to their table in the perfect gentlemanly manner.

As she approached the table, Selina's lips parted to speak with a seductive and alluring smile.

"Good evening, everyone," her words slipped from her lips as she regarded the two individuals at the table.

"Ms. Kyle," Jim said politely. "Please allow me to introduce…"

"Oh, I know who you are," Selina said quickly, her voice kind and polite, but now carrying a venomous undertone with it. "Commissioner James "Jim" Gordon, the current hard working saviour of Gotham trying desperately, and if I may say, foolishly to stop the unending tide of crime from overflowing this already Godforsaken city."

Jim was so taken aback by her abrasive words that his body inadvertently paused as he was in the process of standing to greet her. He slowly sat back down in his chair. Bruce stared at Selina in disbelief, moving his hand off of her, his mind trying to calculate the motivation behind her hurtful words. He had no idea that things were about to get far worse.

"Still, Commissioner, a man of your integrity is certainly worthy of an heir to his imagined kingdom without crime. However, unfortunately, your homely wife has not been able to produce in that area, despite several… failed… attempts. I suppose that at least the trying could help keep things spicy in the old sex life, hmm?"

"How did you…" Sarah tried to begin.

"Oh, the records of hospital visits and the like are merely a matter of public record, my dear," Selina continued her crushing abuse. "But don't worry, it'll just stay our little secret," she finished with a playful smile.

"Excuse me," Sarah managed to whisper as the first of many tears slipped from her eyes and she quickly made her way away from the table.

"What in the hell is wrong with you?" Jim said to Selina as he stared at her with a gaze which could have set her on fire before he stomped past her and hurried after his wife.

With her plan now firmly in motion, Selina moved in for the kill. She sauntered closer to Bruce and placed both her hands on his chest, joyful with a fake conceited laughter.

"Well, it seems that the Gordons simply were not in a party mood tonight, hmm?"

Bruce stared down at her with a stare as cold as a glacier as he grabbed her wrists and lifted her hands off his chest.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he whispered, his cold voice barely concealing his burning anger.

Selina was completely taken aback and caught off guard. Her mouth dropped in shock. Every previous playboy mark that she had gotten close to in order to pull a job had always fallen for that move. She would simply show up looking pretty, insult someone within the group, and the men would be falling all over her. With the complete shallowness of character and thinly veiled evil disdain which continually characterized the people within these wealthy circles, this simple plan had always worked.

However, this one… this man… was different.

Selina stared up at Bruce as if he were some kind of creature she had never seen before.

"What?" she managed to breathe.

"How about a reversal?" Bruce continued coldly. "Selina Kyle of the Gotham Kyles. A once noble family of distinction in Gotham until it fell into the worst kind of disrepute. The family had been controlled by the well known financial tycoon Victor Kyle, a rather intense businessman that reportedly built an entire empire on mining and massing rare and expensive jewelry and artifacts. However, it was revealed years later that Mr. Victor Kyle was in actuality heavily connected to the Gotham mafia, particularly the Falcone family, for whom he had been smuggling drugs and munitions into the city through his overseas shipments. At which time, the entire Kyle family fell out of repute in good society."

Selina snatched her wrists out of Bruce's hands, now backing away from the scathing power of his words.

"How do you… ," she tried to interrupt him.

"Around this time, your mother committed suicide. This again left a particularly bad mark on the family because you all had been raised Catholic, and this would be regarded by the church as one of the deadly sins. This means that unless your mother had truly accepted Christ Jesus as her Saviour, which many half pagan religions such as Catholicism don't always follow, then her soul is to burn in hell for all eternity."

A tear slipped from Selina's eyes. She continued backing away from him.

"Now, this is probably why your sister ended up remanded to a convent, probably out of some totally misguided attempt at atonement or absolution which would never come." He paused for dramatic effect before he continued. "But you probably weren't there for her, were you, Selina? No, you see, you were so concerned about yourself that you had already skipped town. You left your sister on her own, to fend for herself. Now, there is only one thing I'm curious about. Since you think that you're tough enough, or should I say, twisted enough, to run down a woman desperately trying to get pregnant, then what would have happened that was so bad to make you run away?"

Selina stopped walking backward. For one of the first times in her life, she was genuinely afraid. The invisible knife he had stuck into her chest was about to pierce her heart.

"Something must have happened," Bruce continued in a speculative yet mocking manner. "From your mother's suicide, I'm guessing that something must have been going on in the house, something concerning your father." He paused, once more. "Something like… abuse?"

A loud crack suddenly resounded throughout the entire room. The piano player removed his hands from the keyboard in front of him at the startling sound, leaving the entire room in a stunned silence. The joyful noises of the space ceased at once, as did all movements, and everything became still and quiet as everyone suddenly focused on the table near the front center of the auditorium.

Bruce licked the blood off of the side of his lip, more so as not to offend the tender sensibilities of some of the more genteel guests than out of any bother to himself. He had to admit, the beautiful young woman could pack quite a slap. She had actually slapped him so hard she'd drawn blood. Again, he had to face his dark side and admit to himself that this woman really turned him on. Still, he stared at her, unwavering.

Without another word, Selina turned and ran into the crowd, not wanting him to see her heartbreak. She was broken. She didn't look back…


	3. Chapter 3

… As she ran, Selina's mind's eye regressed her to another time and place. Once again, she found herself as that little thirteen year old girl running through the expanse of her uncle's vineyard, refusing to look back at the man that had just tried to assault her, or the sister which had refused to leave with her. In many ways, she was still that same thirteen year old girl… still running…

… When Selina raised her head, she found herself in a bathroom staring at her reflection in a large ornate mirror. She was a frightful mess. Her mascara had run and her face looked terrible. Her eyes were bloodshot red.

Then, her cell phone began to vibrate on silent. She slipped it out of her waistband and checked it. It was Slam. Of course.

Selina was reminded of another of the great misfortunes of her life. She cared for Slam, but she didn't love him. He, on the other hand, was very much in love with her. They had never discussed it, and Selina had never allowed things to go farther than the one or two times they'd kissed, but he had always made his feelings for her quite evident. She, however, had always been unable to return his affections.

Slam's affection continued even now, even though, last week, he had almost lost his life because of her. Selina had been five yards behind Sam when he'd opened the door to his favorite pawn shop, and the blast from the bomb which had been planted on the door knocked him five feet in the air and threw his body into Selina. The only thing which had saved his life had been the door padding he'd installed shortly after having it built. He had been a police officer once upon a time, and those instincts saved his life.

Selina had met Slam just after she'd run away from the terrible incident at her uncle's main estate. She had left with nothing but the clothes on her back and the money in her pocket. After she had pulled her first major heist against her particular target the very next day, she had found herself on the streets of Los Angeles, with a load of valuable stolen goods and no way to fence them. She had gone to several brokers and pawn shop dealers, and every one of them had tried to shiest her.

Then, she had walked in the front door of the smallest pawn shop in the city, and she had run into Slam. He had tried to undercut her as well, but when she'd turned to walk away, he had come clean.

She always wondered if Slam had really changed for the money or for her.

Slam had promised her, on his knees, that if she would trust him, he would fence her goods and get the large money for her. He hadn't had enough money to pay her for the valuables she had acquired, but he said that he would get it and more if she would just keep coming back to him bringing parts of her acquisitions bit by bit. This partnership had evolved into a very lucrative enterprise for both of them over the years, and Slam now owned a chain of high end pawn dealerships, and Selina had more than enough money to walk her way through society. Slam had eventually made a great deal of connections, and he started to bring jobs to her for her expertise. He even started to participate in them, using the excuse that he could increase his cut of the take if he took a more active role.

Selina had found that her jobs went more smoothly with the surveillance work she did prior to the heist in making contact with a mark, or someone near her object of acquisition which would allow her to get detailed insights. She had never gone to bed with any of them, only leading them on to get the information she wanted, but she'd had to drug one or two of them to get them to fall unconscious so she could let herself out. Slam always called her incessantly, doing his best to make certain that she never gave herself to any of them. He was endearing and annoying at the same time.

He had been mortified when she'd told him that she was going to do a job in Gotham, and find out who was behind the attempts on her life. Now, still in his hospital bed, he was calling to check on her and her mark. Even though this had been one of the worst nights of her life, she still didn't want to talk to him.

As Selina reached down and turned off her cell phone, she was startled out of her reverie by the sudden flushing of a toilet behind her. A moment later, a man opened the stall door and stepped out. Selina stared at him in wide eyed surprise. She immediately glanced over at the entrance door.

Oh great! She had inadvertently wandered herself into the mens' washroom!

"Hey baby," the man called as he approached her and extended his arm to put around her. "Did your boyfriend upset you? How about I take you…"

"How about if you so much as touch me with that arm I'm going to cut it off and feed it to you," Selina hissed.

Selina had recognized his type instantly. He was an opportunist, trying to capitalize on a woman's unfortunate situation. She really, really wasn't in the mood.

The man quickly raised his hands up in surrender and backed away from her, hastily making his way out of the washroom without even washing his hands.

Selina turned back to the mirror and started fixing her make up. Just as she thought she might be approaching presentable again, the door of washroom opened. A small, wiry man stepped inside, and at the sight of Selina, he stared her up and down and licked his lips. She recognized his type also. The pervert.

"It's occupied. Get the hell out of here," she said, her voice dripping venom.

The man stumbled over himself backing out to close the door.

Selina turned back to the mirror, and this time heard the flush of two toilets from the stalls. Two men in classy suits walked out, zipping themselves up, gazing at her as if she were their favorite dish. She recognized their type as well. They were undercover bruisers, men that seemed to be polite on the outside but were women beaters on the inside. They were wolves in sheep's clothing. Genuine trouble. Selina wondered to herself how and why she always wound up in these damned situations.

"Keep them zipped up, boys," she said dismissively. "Night's over."

"Hello, Kitty," the first man said with mock admiration.

"Night's still young from what I can see," the second man said. "I think it's time to play."

"Me too," the first man added his intention.

"Well, then, come and get it," Selina said as she turned to face them.

Selina laid herself back seductively against the lavish sink behind her, drawing them in with her magnetic allure. The two men continued walking toward her menacingly, their intentions devious and brutal.

Then, Selina smiled.

Suddenly, using the sink behind her as a brace, Selina swung her legs up upward and apart. She caught both men with a hard upward kick simultaneously, the spikes of her high heeled pumps doing their intended damage. The man on the right screamed out loudly in a high-pitched voice grabbing at his right eye as he lost his footing and toppled to the floor in extreme pain. Her spiked heel had gouged into his cheek.

The second man was a little more lucky. The heel of her pumps had only dislocated his jaw, and he remained on his feet, stumbling backward in a daze. Selina reacted quickly, jumping into a left spin which brought her right hand around in a vicious swing, and she raked her long, sharp fingernails across the middle of his face. Three long red slashes similar to the marks of a cat, now ran the width of his face across his eyes. Selina continued into another smooth spin, and she swung her right leg into a perfectly placed spinning back kick. The force of the kick picked his body up off the floor before he landed hard on his back.

"Think of this incident the next time you two want to hurt a woman, and know that I'll be watching you from now on," Selina said as she walked between the two men cowering on the floor as they clutched their injuries. "Now, get out of here."

If the sight behind the opening washroom door hadn't been so intense, it would have been laughable. Two large burly men dressed in suits were stumbling out of the room, seemingly running for their lives, and standing tall behind them was a classy looking lady which appeared too well adorned to partake of any violent physical activity. As the door swung closed, Selina again walked over to the mirror and rested both her hands on the sink below it.

Why was she a magnet for the evil within men? Her looks were such a curse, as they always had been. At moments like these, she sometimes felt as if she would give anything to experience just a touch of kindness from a real man.

"Are you okay?" a voice quietly called from behind her.

Selina spun around in shock. No one… no one… had ever snuck up on her and gotten this close without her knowing. Her heart was racing, but she acted calm as soon as she stared into the face of the man standing behind her.

"Do I look like I need any help?" she said sarcastically.

"Not the physical," Bruce answered as he took a step forward. "You very obviously know how to take care of yourself." He paused, and there was genuine concern in his next words. "But I'm not asking about that."

"What do you care?" she scoffed.

"Listen, what I said out there… I was a little… I didn't…"

"You meant every word," Selina interrupted him angrily. "And while I probably deserved it, I don't…"

"Listen," Bruce interrupted her this time. "I'm trying to say…"

"How about a reversal?" Selina said as she suddenly stepped forward. "Mr. Bruce Wayne, of the Gotham Waynes, formerly a family of distinction in the city. They were highly regarded as the light of the city, as their generous and well placed financial distributions were paving the way for a possible complete city reconstruction. Their presence was requested at all the city events," she gestured with her hands before her face turned dead serious once again. "That is, until the city they loved gunned them down in cold blood in its own streets. Their deaths left only little Brucey Wayne to inherit a venerable fortune, meaning that he has never had to work a day in his life, having everything he's ever wanted handed to him on a silver platter, and he's never wanted for a damn thing. He's a slothful playboy that wastes his time with models and fast cars and has never had to live with us in the real world at all. Why should he care about anything at all?" she finished with a whisper.

Bruce stood still. Selina knew that her words had hurt him, particularly her cruel remarks about his parents, but he stood stoically calm. Still, she could see the slight change of expression in his eyes. She had successfully hit a nerve, but she hadn't shattered him the same way he had broken her wide open.

Bruce took a step forward. "I care… more than you can imagine."

Selina took a step forward in defiance. "What do you care about?"

Bruce took another step toward her. "Everything."

"Oh really? Do you care about this city? The city that took your family from you?"

"Yes, I care about this city… and all its people… and more."

"Oh, so you can care about those things which are unlovable, hmmm? Do you have that much love inside you? Like you care for the Gordons?"

"Yes."

Selina took a challenging step forward, defiantly stepping into his personal space, close enough to feel his body heat and his breath on her.

"If you say you care for the Gordons, then do you also have enough love inside you to care for the woman that hurt them?" she challenged.

Bruce took another step forward, the distance between them now virtually gone.

"Yes, I do," he answered.

Then, there was no more space between them, and their lips were suddenly pressed tightly together. Neither of them knew how this had happened, how they had ended up here or how this unbelievably intense feeling was passing through the two of them. Selina's arms had wound their way around his neck, pulling him into her as if her life depended on it. Bruce's hands had fastened around Selina's waist, crushing her against him as if she were his very breath of life.

Selina deepened the kiss, opening her mouth and pushing into his own, sealing them together even more as their tongues danced deeply. Although possessed with intense emotion, the kiss was filled with an open hearted desire for love, tenderness and affection, and the other gave and reciprocated. The kiss was soft and desperate, hungry and sating, desirous and loving all at the same time. They had found completion in one another.

When they slowly parted, both of them were left feeling empty without the touch of the other, their breaths still mingled as they stayed close. Bruce and Selina found themselves in the midst of a pivotal moment, trying to figure out whether to kiss again or pull away. Inexplicably, they began to lean into one another again, their lips just once again barely grazing this oasis they had just discovered within each other.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and several security officers stepped inside with their weapons drawn and raised. The beaten bruisers had alerted security as the guests had been taken aback by the blood dripping from their faces. The security were immediately intercepted by Bruce. Without hesitation, he quickly stepped forward to stand between them and Selina.

Selina stood transfixed. She wasn't accustomed to a man, or anyone, taking up for her in her life. She listened as he hurriedly explained the situation to the security personnel and urged them to dismiss this matter at once. To her further surprise, they complied and left the two of them alone once again.

Selina hesitated a moment before she stepped away from Bruce. Without another word, she turned and walked out of his life.


	4. Chapter 4

Gotham Grounds Hotel

Room 312

1:15 a.m.

The bathroom was well furnished and beautifully designed, fitting with the facade of the old fashioned and long standing historical hotel. It was now dimly lit, the shadows of the room dulled by the dark atmosphere. It was time to prepare.

Selina stared at herself in the mirror. She always marveled at her many incarnations. Her natural hair was that of a real true high light color blonde, a shade that most women would kill for. Yet, she found herself rarely wearing it that way. Maybe someday she would be able to allow herself to feel like the princess, to be the princess, perhaps if she were to find herself kissing her prince some day… perhaps a prince like… him. But for now… she would be the mistress of the night… the Catwoman.

Selina sat her bottle of black hair dye on the counter and raised her clippers to her hair…

* * *

Wayne Manor

3:16 a.m.

At this time of the morning, the expansive and venerable estate sat still and quiet, almost ominous in its massive presence. The shadows hung dark and heavy underneath its stature, their gloom seemingly impenetrable. The estate seemed to emit an atmosphere of royalty and common place somehow simultaneously.

The Catwoman had entered the estate by cutting through a window opening in one of the upper towers. She knew that the newly discovered Egyptian Feline queen, valued at nearly three million dollars, had been brought to the Wayne estate for storage until it was to be shipped to Israel for its next gala presentation. She was still angry at herself for not staying at the event last night long enough to get good look at it, but that man… that man… had been there, and things had definitely not gone according to plan.

She hadn't stopped thinking about him since she'd run out of the washroom.

She had processed a copy of the estate floor plans a few days ago, but the structure which she was now navigating had been considerably altered. During her research of the property, she had discovered that most of the estate had been burned down and rebuilt a short time ago, but the design plans no longer matched the ones on file at all.

This was supposed to a be a fairly easy job, but things were not at all going according to plan. She had continued to wind her way through, crawling through ductwork and ceiling panels until she had been forced to admit that she was quite lost.

It was almost as if a series of hidden passageways had now been built into the house, augmenting the earlier floor plan.

Either by luck or pure perseverance, she had finally stumbled upon the grand hallway canopy which was housing the precious artifact. It was the head of a woman, decorated in pure gold, with the shadow and hair of a cat behind it, almost the three dimensional rendering of some ancient beautiful mural.

The sparkling of it attracted Catwoman like a moth to a flame. This might be one of the prizes she sometimes chose to keep for her private collection instead of selling it to a wealthy anonymous buyer. Now, to get her hands on it.

Catwoman descended from the ceiling and landed gracefully on the hallway floor without making a sound. She reached a hand up and pressed her lens change button on her shades, and she could immediately see the red security lasers crossing the short space between her and the glass container housing the Queen.

Catwoman smiled to herself. She had expected a little more of a challenge on this job. She quietly went to work.

* * *

In another part of the estate, in a lower level housed in darkness, a dark figure stared at a set of screens above a monitoring console, all of them centered on the hallway housing the rare artifact.

The figure watched as the… woman… clad in all black slipped into a dance between his security beams. He had never seen a woman of her natural skill and ability. She had been trained by someone of excellent skill and precision, but her trainer had truly unlocked her inner essence. He found himself unable to turn his eyes away from the screen as she sensuously slid her lithe strong body beneath the beams… as she slowly raised into a perfect handstand between the lines… .as she flipped with amazing grace over them… as she lowered in a full split to slip underneath them… she was… the picture… of feminine perfection.

She was beautiful. He couldn't stop watching her…

* * *

In the hallway, Catwoman rounded the last set of lasers with a graceful extended back flip which put her just over the top of the final beam. She slowly stood with a sly smile.

That was fun.

With a victorious confident stride, Catwoman sauntered up to the glass case resting on the ornate pedestal. She took a moment to admire it. She would keep it, if she didn't need the money to pay Slam's medical bills and have his primary shop fixed. Still, this would be a good score for her.

She slipped out her special cutter, sliced an opening in the glass with precision, and carefully lifted the Queen out of her prison. Mission accomplished. Time to head home.

Catwoman turned to leave, and suddenly, all the lights in the hallway went out simultaneously. Even the red security lasers shut off. Everything was suddenly still and silent. She took a step back, watching the darkness. Then, small red emergency lights placed rather conspicuously along the floor and ceiling boards activated eerily. The gentle red hue made the enclosed hallway atmosphere more concealing, alluring and intimate.

Then, a deep, guttural and ominous voice boomed from within the darkness.

"I've been expecting you," the voice said to her.

"Who's there?" Catwoman called cautiously. "Who are you?"

"I was expecting you, but you weren't what I was expecting," the voice continued. "I can't let you leave with the artifact. Put it back…now."

"Show yourself, and perhaps I'll consider doing so," Catwoman said as she continued looking around at the darkness surrounding her, disturbed by the fact that even her special lenses couldn't pinpoint the location of her visitor.

There was a pause, and then she heard a slight ruffle of movement from the hallway directly in front of her. Then, slowly, a massive dark cloaked figure emerged from the shadows, like a majestic wraith finally revealing himself.

"Magnificent," Catwoman whispered to herself.

"You're quite… stunning… yourself," Batman responded, his voice so low that it was only barely audible.

Catwoman stared at him in shock, surprise and admiration. Finally! Her looks had for once proven to be a blessing instead of a curse. The mountain of man standing before her was a major stud, and he seemed to like what he saw as well. The instant attraction between them was obvious and almost tangible.

"So, I have a fan, do I?" Catwoman grinned like a cheshire cat as she slowly began to walk forward toward him.

"Some beauty is undeniable," Batman answered, continuing to stand perfectly still. "Even when it is tainted with the sin of crime."

"I was forced into this life, I didn't choose it," Catwoman said quickly, the snap of her venomous voice scratching loudly.

"But you're very proficient at it. You're too good at it actually. A person doesn't reach your level of skill without a great deal of personal investment."

"You seem to know a lot about me," Catwoman said, still walking slowly toward him. "You said you were expecting me, but I didn't seem to get the invitation. You care to elaborate."

"I've been tracking you for some time," Batman answered her. "I noticed a number of high scale burglaries taking place in Gotham over the last three weeks. The jobs took place in different jurisdictions, so it took the police some time to catch on that the signatures were similar. I was unable to find any trace of you or your stolen goods after the jobs, so I surmised that you must be leaving town and then returning. With the Feline Queen arriving in Gotham, I arranged for it to be brought here, knowing that it was time to stop you. With your level of proficiency, I had planned for a more violent attack from a man… someone… that wasn't going to be willing to go down without a fight."

"I may not be what you expected, but I'm still not going to… go down… on you… without a fight," said Catwoman, her sexy voice dripping with sensuality.

She smiled with a sly smile at her own wit, humor and innuendo. To her surprise, he grinned. Well, well, well. It seemed that Mr. Straight and Stolid might just have a soft spot for her… on a hard on. To be honest, she had a… wet… spot for him, and he had a boner for her. Normally, she despised the ways of men, but things were different with this man, probably because of the fact that she felt the same way about him.

"Why don't you just step aside and escort a lady out of the party?" she asked, now drawing dangerously close.

"I can't do that," he said sternly.

"Well, then it seems we're going to have an impasse between us, a bridge we can't seem to get across," she said, closer now.

"So be it," he answered, his eyes now watching her warily.

"Are you sure there isn't anything I could say… or do… to you for you to let me walk out of here with this?" she whispered, putting an extra twist in her hips just for him.

"Nothing," he whispered back.

"At least think about it," she said quickly. "I haven't actually done anything yet. What am I guilty of?"

"Breaking and entering," he said, his voice low.

"This may make things complicated between us," she countered, her voice also low.

"Impasse."

"Impasse."

Catwoman paused. Batman steadied himself. The battle lines had been drawn.

"Then try and stop me!" Catwoman suddenly said loudly, breaking into a run straight for him.

Batman stepped back, positioning his legs in a defensive stance, but he didn't raise his hands. He steadied himself with his right leg forward and braced, his left leg back.

Catwoman surprised him! As she came within striking distance of him, she stepped her left leg up and braced the pad of her foot on his firm thigh. She then jumped upward, flipping through the air above him and landing several yards behind him. As soon as her feet touched the floor, she took off in a dead run.

"Thanks for such scintillating dinner conversation, Stud!" she called as she glanced over her shoulder. "Maybe next time we can do desert!"

She didn't see him at all as she glanced behind her. It was as if he had simply disappeared, almost as if he had never even been there and she had dreamed the whole thing. Well, she wasn't going to slow down for anything.

She tucked the Queen into a small special sack she had brought which attached securely to her belt at the small of her back. She quickly used her bullwhip to propel herself back up to the hole she had made through the ceiling and she rushed through the tight spaces as fast as she could. Mr. Dark Knight back there may have laid a trap for her, but no way was he going to catch up to her now. After finally figuring her way out, which thankfully took a lot less time than it took to get in, she emerged back out onto the roof of the far east tower. She paused and crouched for a moment to make certain that the coast was all clear before darting out and rushing toward the edge of the roof. Still in motion, she swung out her whip and wrapped it around the small thin utility pole she had used as a brace to climb up, preparing to swing her way downward to freedom.

At that moment, a small metallic thunk resounded, and her whip went slack in her hand. Catwoman slowed her run to a halt next to the pole, and she noticed the small sharp bat shaped shuriken stuck cleanly through her whip. She was trapped.

This was the second time in one evening that a man had managed to sneak up on her.

And she hated to admit to the fact that her feelings were as twisted up about this man as she was about the other, whom she simply hadn't been able to stop thinking about since she'd left him in that washroom. Her confused feelings made her feel crazy. This was just too much for her to deal with right now, and she was beginning to feel overwhelmed.

"Some men just don't know how to take 'no' for an answer!" she screamed as she spun around to face him.

"And some women just like to play hard to get," his voice called as he once again emerged from the shadows.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Catwoman screamed as she leapt through the air toward him.

Her attack was fast, fierce and furious. She spun with a volley of kicks, side kicks, spinning kicks, front kicks, a whirling nimbus of animosity. Batman dodged and wove, skillfully avoiding and deflecting her blows. To her amazement, he still managed to remain mostly stolid and controlled, even in the blaring heat of her attack.

Catwoman knew that she was skilled. She had been trained by some of the most notable grandmasters in the arts of death. But his skill was simply on another level. Whatever he had been through in life had forged his body into something almost arcane. Catwoman knew how to use her body as a weapon, but this man's body was a weapon. She could see the difference. Still, she pressed her attack.

Batman leaned back just enough, her spike heel missing him just by inches. She followed in a smooth motion with a long sweep kick intended to take his legs out from under him. He promptly jumped into the air in a smooth flip, slowly flying right over her head and landing just behind her.

Batman spun around and used a batarang to slice off the small bag containing the artifact. It was a brilliant move, and Catwoman tried to react quickly, desperately swinging her arm to try to catch hold of the bag before he could grab it. As his fingers were just taking hold of the bag, Catwoman's backhand connected with his wrist and knocked the bag loose.

The bag skidded across the rooftop and landed against the far corner.

Catwoman took off after it, running over to the edge of the roof. Batman chased her, hot on her heels. However, she had a surprise which would change the course of their lives. She spun around at the edge of the roof and braced herself against the raised brick wall, raising her heels in a double front kick aimed at his jaw. He was able to react enough to make the kick a glancing blow, but he still stumbled backward slightly off balance. Catwoman followed up immediately, quickly spinning into her practiced maneuver. She spun left and swung her claws in a right hand backward swing, her claws extended to slash his face. He was just out of range of her nails, and he watched as she continued her maneuver. She spun again and swung her foot into a practiced back kick.

It was the exact move which Selina Kyle had executed in the washroom.


	5. Chapter 5

The identity of The Catwoman had just been revealed to The Batman to be none other than the alluring Selina Kyle, the very woman he had been unable to get out of his mind since the gala earlier that evening.

Just as his mind was trying to process this startling information, Batman's reflexes reacted to her kick seconds ahead of time because he recognized it. He leaned far back from her foot and used his exaggerated posture to force his body into a back flip.

Yet now, he was off balance. His mind was still trying to grasp the truth of her actual identity which had just been revealed to him.

Immediately sensing his opening, Catwoman pressed her attack hard. She swung her claws at his head and neck, and Batman raised his arms to defend himself, now only barely managing to keep her from slicing into him. Some of her strikes clashed with the body armour on his forearms, sending sparks flying through the air around them.

Catwoman lunged at him still swinging her claws viciously, and Batman caught her right arm in a practiced Aikido maneuver and used her own forward motion against her, spinning her around and flipping her over harder than he'd intended. Catwoman landed hard on her back on the roof a few feet from the Queen, her wind knocked out of her.

She opened her eyes moments later to find herself staring up into the bright stars of the night sky, breathing hard as she struggled to catch her breath, and momentarily exhausted with fatigue. Catwoman decided that her best option was to make a break for it. As skilled as this hunk was, he still had on all that armour, and it may slow him down just enough. Turning over, the feline femme fatale looked up at her combatant. He stood still, leaning toward her slightly, ready for combat.

With a seductive grin, moving very carefully, The Catwoman raised up on her hands and knees, and then began a slow and sensuous crawl toward The Dark Knight. Using a smooth and almost unnoticeable swipe of her hand, she slid the zipper on her catsuit open down to her navel, revealing her ample cleavage and silky skin. She swayed her sexy hips and licked her luscious lips as she continued to crawl toward him, her body nearly the epitome of the cat on the prowl.

The Knight stood transfixed in front of her, silent and unmoving. Again, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. Everything about her was so captivating.

Catwoman knew that sexuality could be a powerful weapon. She had used it before as a good distraction. This time, she would go farther if necessary. She was prepared to do whatever it took to win her prize.

Oh yes, The Stud was definitely a man. His body stood ready for combat, but there was a slight change in his eyes. The subtle shift in his demeanor… was just for her.

At that moment, something inside her softened, something she had never felt before, something she didn't even know existed.

Something… inside her heart.

Still, she couldn't allow herself to deal with that right now. He stood frozen, and she had him exactly where she wanted him. It was time to make her move.

With the speed of a tigress, she jumped up from her crouched position and swung a diagonal strike with her claws poised to cut.

Yet, this time, there was a difference in her attack. She wasn't trying to hit him anymore. She didn't want to.

The Batman easily leaned out of the way of her swing, quickly realizing that it was a diversionary tactic. With astonishing grace of movement, Catwoman let her momentum carry her forward into a well executed cartwheel, this time raising the spikes of her heels to miss his face by mere inches. As the tactician's mind analyzed her beautiful assault, she landed back on her feet and simultaneously swung her right leg back in a sweep designed to take his legs out from under him. A quick leap and he was in the air, just as she had planned.

Springing up to her feet, The Catwoman was at the bag carrying her prize in three steps. Scooping it up, she got one heel up onto the edge of the roof in a second, preparing to make a jump for it.

It was a second too long. Spinning and twisting in mid-air, The Knight had swung out a line intended to wrap around her legs before he had even landed.

Both their strategies failed.

Batman's rope only snagged the heel of Catwoman's boot, but it was enough to ruin what needed to be a perfect jump for Catwoman. With her balance destroyed and her fast momentum still carrying her forward, the leather clad lioness was soon soaring through the air in an out of control decline, the bag slipping from her grasp. At this angle, the impact was certain to snap her neck or at least hurt her slim frame badly.

Her whip was broken. She was out of options. She closed her eyes.

A jarring impact snapped her eyes open a second later to stare up at… him.

The wind was whipping and roaring around them. They were still falling like heavy jewelry, now at a more diagonal angle, but a harsh impact was still a certainty.

For Catwoman, there was suddenly no sound around them. Everything was moving in slow motion. The only things that existed in her world at that moment… were his eyes.

"Don't worry. I've got you," he whispered lovingly to her.

Enveloping her in his strong protective arms, he held her close, keeping her safe from harm. He was warm, solid and comforting. She couldn't stop staring up at him.

He couldn't stop staring down at her. She was gorgeous… fierce, feisty, strong… at the same time… vulnerable, frightened, tender… so beautiful. He held her closer into him.

The couple soared through the air at breakneck speed… but to them… time stood still.

Then, in a flash, it all came rushing back.

They smashed almost violently onto the lower roof of the manor, a loud crack resounding from Batman's back as they continued sliding several feet from their point of impact. In seconds, the fall was over.

They had fallen for each other.

He had given himself for her. He had risked himself for her. It hadn't been a tremendous height, but to The Catwoman, it may just as well have been a mountain. In the life she had lived before this evening, men just didn't do things like this. Something in her heart had changed.

Catwoman couldn't believe it. She was literally stunned into silence and inaction. Regaining herself, she smiled slightly. God had a real sense of humor… and destiny… in her life.

The cat was sprawled on top of the bat, her legs straddling his hips, their torsos pressed together. Slowly, she leaned up to stare down at him. Both combatants were breathless and panting hard, almost feeling unable to catch their breaths. They were heated and sweaty, their skin glistening in the moonlight.

Their situation was not lost on either of them. Hot, heated, sensuous, perspiring, breathless, passionate, gazing deeply into one another's eyes, and joined at the hips as their waists pressed together.

It almost felt as if they had already done the deed and were caught in a post-coital bliss.

Then, a few feet away from them, a night light sparkled off of the Feline Queen. The bag lay not too far away, and it had fallen open to allow a touch of the jewel to be seen at its edge.

It was still there for the taking. She just needed to distract him. A kiss ... as if under a mistletoe, perhaps.

The truth was, she wanted to kiss him. The distraction was secondary. However, she wasn't yet ready to face this truth.

Still panting, Catwoman leaned down and kissed Batman. Her mind tried to plan out her steps to get to the Queen and then make her escape, but she couldn't seem to focus. The feel of his soft lips against her own wouldn't let her think. To her shocked surprise, The Knight responded to her. He hesitated for a moment, but then he kissed her, their lips joining for a second time. Even if she hadn't been liplocked with him in this moment, she would still have found herself speechless. If the strong, stolid, unmoveable man felt strongly enough for her to make him respond like this, then maybe he was feeling the same way for her… as she was for him.

She told herself that she was only doing this for the job. She knew that it was a lie at the very instant she thought it.

Catwoman parted her full lips and slipped her tongue down his throat as far as it would go. She had wondered if he might resist or pull away, and then she would make her move for her prize, but his hungry reaction to her only made her lose control even more. He pressed his lips against her intensely. Batman pulled Catwoman hard against him and held her tightly. She gasped, taken aback by his sudden passion for her. Then, she opened her mouth and joined her tongue with his own again, kissing him with reckless abandon, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and running her slim fingers over the sides of his mask.

She now understood, sensed and felt that his need and desire for her was just as strong and powerful as hers for him. She gave in, allowing herself, just this once, to love and be loved as she so desperately needed.

Catwoman slid her hands down over his chest, wishing that she could feel his skin instead of his armour. Still kissing him, she began to carefully feel around on his sides and under his armpits. In just a short time, she had found his hidden locks and unclasped it, pulling his chest plate off and dropping it beside them. Her skillful hands searched around his hips, and his hands finally released her hips long enough to undo the hidden clasp along his waistband.

Catwoman quickly took hold of Batman's hands in her own, swiftly pulling off his gloves, then her own. They both paused, staring deeply into one another's eyes, as she ran her fingers all along his own, feeling the sensation. He had rough hands, honed from years of training.

Batman marveled at the feel of Catwoman. Her skin felt so soft, so tender, so feminine, so gentle, yet there was a strength and power thinly veiled just under the surface. She was the most captivating thing he had ever encountered.

The sexy cat leaned back and began to kiss her way down Batman's body, pulling his leg protection and undergarments down with her. She freed his immense manhood from his confines, and the center of her body melted with desire for him. She could literally feel her own wetness coating the insides of her thighs.

He swiftly leaned up and began to kiss and suckle her neck, and his lips on her sent waves of hot electricity through her body. In response, she sensuously slid one shoulder out of her catsuit, exposing more skin, letting him know that she wanted to go farther. Before she could process what he was doing, The Knight reached up and pulled the other side of her suit down around her upper arms.

The Catwoman gasped. He had just effectively trapped her.

She paused and stared down at him, wondering if she had been bested. She knew that he could roll her off of him, stand up, and take the Queen back before she could regroup. She would feel like such a fool if he did. She waited for what seemed a long, tense moment.

The Batman didn't move. The Catwoman suddenly realized that ... he was waiting for her. He was going to let her make the decision.

Was this about the prize? Or was this about them?

Hesitantly, she began to lean back down over him. She pressed her lips against his tenderly, quietly, gently coaxing him. She knew that he wasn't going to respond this time. He had obviously seen through her ruse. He knew what she was after.

He may have known what she wanted, but she ... she wasn't so sure anymore. Did she really want the prize? Did she want him? Was he the real prize?

Just when she didn't think she could get more confused, the unthinkable happened. He kissed her back again. The air left her lungs and she could no longer breathe. Raising her hands to her shoulders, she caught the edges of her leather between her slick fingers and pulled it all the way down.

The Batman stopped. His mouth drew away, and she immediately missed the heat of his lips. Her distraction had certainly gone too far this time. His eyes held hers for a moment, but then he looked down, and his visage fell.

Her chest lay bare above him. He was certain that he had never seen a more beautiful sight in his life. Her body was beyond his fantasies and imagination. His eyes became clouded with desire, and although he knew that he shouldn't feel this way, he was prepared to take this as far as she dared.

He kissed her tenderly, and she rejected his kiss. She didn't want him like that. They were much too far gone for that now. Pulling her arms free of her sleeves, she forced her way into his mouth desperately, pressing this body that he seemed to adore hard down on him.

The heat between them increased as he began to move downward, raising his hands to squeeze her thick, taut nipples, sucking and biting them before soothing them with hard suckling and licking. She found that her legs couldn't keep still and they continued sliding back and forth as he continued his assault of pleasure on her upper body.

The Catwoman realized that he had taken the power and control in this melee, and she wanted it back. She wanted him, she wanted the prize, she wanted it all, and she was going to have everything she desired.

Her lower body lifted up the moment this thought crossed her mind, and the two of them moved in unison. His rough, calloused hands yanked the leather down past her hips in one stroke, and she smoothly slid off her heels and slipped it the rest of the way off. She reached down and took hold of him, still rock hard, and slid her thong underwear aside to place him in the folds of her entrance. With shaking hands, she pulled him forward into her body.

Batman allowed Catwoman to guide him, and he entered her slowly, giving her muscles time to adjust to him. She laid her head on his broad chest as the sensations overtook her, and she knew that she had never felt anything this good in her entire life. She felt him filling her, and she continued pushing downward until she felt her waist against his own. She collapsed on top of him, pressing her cheek hard against his, needing him to keep her grounded or she knew she would be lost in sensation.

The Catwoman was still overtaken. She immediately felt her muscles contracting and convulsing around him, and a strong orgasm instantly tore through her. She screamed, quickly placing her hands on the sides of his face and kissing him hard, letting his mouth swallow the sounds of her pleasure.

The Knight was lost in The Femme Fatale. Her passion and beauty and desire had left him totally open to her, and she was drawing feelings and emotions out of him which he hadn't even known existed before her. Her core was like a vice around him, and she felt so good that he couldn't stop the constant moans emanating from his throat. He was sweating and breathing hard, and his heart was pounding against his chest. He struggled to hold on and not release himself, his desire being to try to give her so much pleasure that she would need him as much as he needed her. Batman knew with a complete certainty… that he would never… ever… be able to get enough of this woman.

Seemingly of it's own volition, Catwoman's body began to move and slide back and forth on top of Batman, and both of them moaned and panted in their overwhelming union, kissing and caressing each other without end. Her hands never stopped moving, rubbing constantly up and down his chest and arms and shoulders. His strong hands gripped up and down her back, grabbing her firm ass, and kneading her taut thighs.

Suddenly, Catwoman felt something coming. The earth was about to move. He felt it also. She began to slam down hard on him, overtaken by passion, and he started to push up into her to match her desire. With three final thrusts, her body locked and shook violently. He tensed at the same time, his muscles bulging and focused only on her.

The world began to spin around them. Time ceased to exist. It had no meaning for them. Love was all they knew. They lay still joined together under the stars, waiting for the earth to stop moving.

* * *

Some time later, how long neither of them knew, a well known symbol suddenly appeared above them across the clouds which always seemed to hang in the sky over the city… the image of the bat… the signal…

The Batman raised his head and looked up at the sky, and his eyes darkened just a little, the memory and weight of his calling returning to his mind, taking him away from the bliss he had shared with this woman. The Catwoman stared up at the symbol for a long moment, her mind also being jarred back from the newfound serenity she had found in him. Catwoman looked back down at Batman.

The Knight leaned in and kissed her lips sweetly, and The Cat pressed into him, returning his affection with her whole heart. Then, he began to sit up, taking her with him. His face began to become grin, his entire demeanor changing to prepare for whatever horrors the city of Gotham might throw at him. Unhooking his cloak, he wrapped it around her and she held it above her breasts as protection against the chilled air and the coldness she was beginning to sense from him. Batman stood to his feet, then he leaned down and reached one arm under her legs and wrapped the other arm around her waist. He gently lifted her up and set her down on her feet in front of him.

The Cat smiled to herself. He treated her with an innate gentleness that she hadn't expected. There was definitely much more to him than what met the eyes.

"I wasn't through with you yet, you know?" Catwoman whispered to him intimately.

"Good," Batman answered back. "I'm not finished with you, either," he said with a grin.

He began to refasten his garments once again and she pulled back on her catsuit. Within moments, they were both almost fully clothed. Catwoman walked behind him and lovingly reached up to place his cloak back onto his shoulders, even smoothing it down for him along the top of his back. When she walked back around to stand in front of him, he reached down and grabbed her zipper below her navel and zipped her up to her neck. They now stood before each other fully clothed once again.

"You know, this could make things… complicated… between us," The Catwoman said quietly, echoing her words from earlier that night, but now the connotation and true meaning were much more intimate.

They both stared at one another for a moment longer, gazing deeply into each other's eyes.

"Impasse," Batman whispered with resigned sadness in his voice.

"Impasse," Catwoman whispered in response, with unshed tears in her voice.

Batman turned and walked over to the adjacent edge of the tower and stepped up onto the balustrade. Catwoman took a step after him.

"You know, you're guilty too," she called to him, not yet wanting to let him go.

Batman turned around to look at her. "Of what in particular?"

"Breaking and entering."

"Into?"

"My heart," she whispered.

"Then we're both guilty,' he whispered back. "We'll find salvation together."

With that, the Batman jumped off the edge of the roof and soared away into the night.

Catwoman stared after him for a long moment. Then, she gathered herself and walked over to retrieve her boots… and noticed the Feline Queen still resting where she'd dropped it on the edge of the rooftop.

Her eyes widened.

It was certainly a test. He had left it just to see if she would still take it, so that he would know on which side of the law she truly stood. Well, she didn't want to betray their new connection. It was worth more than that. She turned away and started to make her way over to the edge where she could safely and carefully make her way down. Whatever this was between them, it was strong and good and right and…

She stopped and turned around to look at the Queen…

She turned around to leave…

She stopped and turned around again, staring…

She knew that the decision she made in this moment would determine the fate of The Batman and The Catwoman ...

The Beginning…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted two years ago but was written long before that. The ending has been rewritten to be more in line with the DC New 52 and to try to keep Selina more in character.   
> The original story can be found here: <http://lovedrr.livejournal.com/2123.html>


End file.
